DATA PROCESSING DIVISION

DATA PROCESSING ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY THE D.P. DIVISION

The Office of the
Registrar General, India (ORGI) has always been on adoption of latest available
technology up-gradation of data processing capabilities and capacity within the
organization and particularly in Data Processing Division. The entire computer based
processing of census project is handled by Data Processing Division, New Delhi

In 1961 census,
a modest beginning was made with the adoption of “Unit record” machines. Prior to
1961 censuses, the data collection, data entry and processing were done manually.
In 1961 census, the Hand Punching machines (inserting one card at a time) using
80 column (Hollirith) punch cards were used for converting data into machine readable
form. The processing was done on the sample (data) selected from the entire data.
Around 70 ORGI officers were involved in the data entry, programming & machine
operations. The data schedules were coded at various regional tabulation centres
throughout India before sending the schedules for data entry. Reproducer was used
to duplicate the entire set of punched cards. Data Processing was done by using
Verifiers, sorter machines. “Serial Rolling Total Tabulator cum printer (SRTT)”
was used for tabulation and printing of census tables.Data backup system was not available at that time.